


one last touch and then you'll go

by theglitterati



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Confessions, M/M, Minor Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29009946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theglitterati/pseuds/theglitterati
Summary: “What were you thinking?”“That I had let the team down,” Akaashi said. “That I didn’t deserve to be there. Konoha-san, why—”“What I was thinking,” Konoha said, “was how crazy it was that someone as amazing as you could ever think so badly of yourself."Konoha confesses at graduation.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Konoha Akinori
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	one last touch and then you'll go

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Tiny Vessels" by Death Cab.

“Akinori, straighten your tie, dear.”

“I think it’s as straight as it’s getting,” Konoha said, batting his mother’s hands away. She had been fussing over his outfit for the last five minutes.

“Yeah, he can’t get any better looking than that, Okaa-san,” his brother added. He reached up — he was older, but shorter — and ruffled Konoha’s hair.

Their mother glared at him. “Fuyuki, seriously?”

“Relax,” their dad said. “He looks fine.”

“You weren’t this crazy when I graduated,” Fuyuki said.

“That’s because it was a miracle you graduated at all!”

“Hey!”

Konoha tuned out his family, as he often did, and glanced around. His friends and their families loitered around the lawn behind Fukurodani, waiting to take pictures together. The day was cloudy, but they had chosen a nice spot for photos in front of a small copse of trees near the gym.

Bokuto was surrounded by his parents, sisters, and Akaashi, who was tying his tie for him. His careful fingers secured the knot and smoothed the fabric down his chest; he gave Bokuto a thumbs-up when he finished. Bokuto thanked him and rushed off and Akaashi watched him go, a smile playing on his lips.

Was it obvious to other people, the admiration, the want in Akaashi’s eyes when he looked at Bokuto? Or was it only Konoha who noticed, evidence put together over the years he’d spent watching Akaashi, wishing that admiration would be turned on him?

“Oi, Konoha, come on!”

The team had assembled. Konoha stood beside Washio, Bokuto jumping in between them and throwing an arm around each of their shoulders. Sarukui and Komi posed on the ground in front of them, the rest of the third years filling in around the edges.

Cameras snapped. Konoha tried to focus on his mother’s phone, but his eyes kept drifting to where Akaashi stood with Onaga. He let himself stare, for once, if only to build some immunity to the choked-up feeling he got every time he saw him. He’d need it, for what he had planned.

It was fifteen minutes before all of their parents were satisfied with their shots. Well, all except Konoha’s. “You blinked in more than half of these, Akinori,” his mother complained.

“Nah, that’s just his face,” Fuyuki said. Konoha punched him in the arm.

He checked on Akaashi; he was alone, Bokuto waylaid by his parents. Now was his chance.

“You guys don’t need to stick around,” Konoha said. “I can make my way home later.”

His mother frowned. “But we haven’t talked to all your teachers yet—”

“I don’t think we need to talk to every single one of them,” his dad said. “Aki, be home by six so we can go to dinner, okay?”

Konoha nodded. “Yeah, of course.” His brother and dad headed toward the parking lot, but his mother hesitated.

She pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”

“Okaa-san.” He squirmed in her arms. “We can do this at home.”

“Oh, alright. See you later, dear.” She patted his cheek and joined the rest of the family, leaving him alone.

“I’m proud of you, too, sweetheart,” Sarukui said from behind him.

“Screw you. Do you know where Akaashi went?”

“Over there.” Akaashi was in the middle of a group of second-years who had come to talk to their new captain. Konoha hurried to join them.

“Hey,” he said to Akaashi, “can I talk to you for a minute? Um, alone?”

“Sure, Konoha-san.” Akaashi waved to the second-years. Konoha led him around the corner of the gym, away from the crowd. “Is anything wrong?”

“No, nothing.” Looking at him earlier didn’t help; Akaashi’s stare was as piercing as ever. Konoha wished he weren’t so tall. Even the five centimetres Akaashi had on him were enough to make Konoha feel small.

“How are things with the new team?” he asked. He had been too busy studying to drop by practice lately.

“They’re alright,” Akaashi said. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“Uh, no.” Konoha scrubbed a hand through his hair. He also wished Akaashi weren’t so damn perceptive. “There’s something else I wanted to tell you, before I, you know, leave.”

“What is it?”

Konoha’s throat tightened up. He’d had a whole speech planned and he couldn’t remember a word of it. He’d just have to wing it.

“Remember when you got freaked out at Nationals and had to sit out?”

Akaashi blinked. “Unfortunately, yes.”

So maybe that wasn’t the best way to start. “Right, well, what were you thinking?”

“That I had let the team down,” Akaashi said. “That I didn’t deserve to be there. Konoha-san, why—”

“What I was thinking,” Konoha said, “was how crazy it was that someone as amazing as you could ever think so badly of yourself.

“Akaashi, you are... incredible. You’re so smart, and so kind. You say you felt like you didn’t deserve to be on the team, but without you, there would have been no team. You held us together, you kept Bokuto in check. You were— you were the best of all of us.” He took a shaky breath. “How could I not have fallen for you?”

Akaashi’s mouth fell open. “K-Konoha-san—”

“I don’t expect you to say anything. It’s actually better if you don’t, maybe— dunno know if I can take it.” He tried for a laugh, but it came out hollow. Now that he’d gotten the confession out, it was getting harder to speak, but if he stopped, even for a second, he might start hoping for Akaashi to return his feelings. That was too dangerous; he’d spent years quelling that hope, lest he be controlled by it.

“I just wanted to tell you, to get it off my chest. It would have driven me crazy, to never—” He broke off. “To never tell you what you mean to me.”

Akaashi said nothing. He’d been stunned into silence.

“Anyway, I do have a less selfish reason for saying all this, too.” Konoha pushed on, despite the wetness pricking his eyes, because this was the important part. “You love Bokuto, right?”

“I— I didn’t say—”

“It’s okay. I would never say anything, to him or to anyone. But you do, don’t you?”

Akaashi twisted his fingers together, a habit Konoha hated. He always felt an urge to still them. “Yes, I do.”

“Then I think you should tell him, Akaashi. For all the shit I give him, Bokuto’s a good guy. A great guy, actually. If he doesn’t feel the same way, he would never hold it against you. But speaking as someone who loves you? He would be crazy not to.” 

The ears began to fall, but Konoha brushed them away quickly. There’d be time for that later.

“One more thing.” He reached into his pocket. “I know it's a lame tradition, but I wanted you to have this.” He did take Akaashi’s hands, then, to press the button to his palm and close his fingers over it. “Just— hang onto it for me?”

Akaashi nodded heavily. “Okay.”

Konoha tipped his head up, blinking. “Good.” He’d said what he wanted to say, but his chest didn’t feel any lighter. “Don’t worry about things being weird between us because of this, okay? We’re still friends, and I’d like to keep being your friend in the future.”

“Of— of course.”

He put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder. “Tell Bokuto soon. I want you to be happy, both of you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Okay. I’m gonna go now.” He took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “See you around, Akaashi.”

“Goodbye, Konoha-san.”

Konoha turned and walked away, heading for the back gate instead of the front. He was crying in earnest, now, and he didn’t want anyone to see. He set off down the street toward home, not looking back. 

He tried to put his best face forward at dinner, to put the conversation behind him, but it was difficult. He had never actually confessed to anyone before today. If he was quiet at the restaurant, his family didn’t say anything, nor did they comment when he went up to bed early. He flopped on the mattress, staring at the ceiling.

Should he not have said anything? Had he ruined their friendship forever? He really did want to keep Akaashi in his life, even if their relationship would never be what he wanted it to be.

Or maybe he shouldn’t have rushed it? If Akaashi was going to reject him, he probably should have let him actually say the words. What if Bokuto didn’t return his feelings? Should he have tried to convince him—

His phone buzzed twice in quick succession. Two texts from Akaashi.

_Thank you for the button, Konoha-san._

_I promise to keep it safe._

No, Konoha decided. That was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at kyrstin.tumblr.com!


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